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Thanks, Maurice. That's definitive—it can't be mistaken for a trick of light, or spot of shmutz on the film. But now I'm wondering about that bump on the circular riser. Is that the lock point where the Starfleet engineers at space dock can apply the wrench to remove the lower dome?

__________________
"No, I better not look. I just might be in there."
—Foghorn Leghorn, Little Boy Boo

Yes, it was there. Polar Lights faithfully includes in in there 1/350 model kit, researched by Gary Kerr. What it is, is up for grabs. Some think the intent was that it be the phaser turret.

I just checked, and the "tallywhacker" is definitely there on the Art Asylum model too.

It seems to be transparent on the AA model. I never noticed it before either, but it must always have been there. I think it just stands out a bit more in the screencap posted in the OP because it's colored red.

Let me get this right. All along, even on the big TOS Enterprise model, there was not just a nipple, but a turret-looking thing?

This is very surprising.

Yeah, so surprising that I don't quite believe it. Could the images Maurice supplied have been an unused or little-used modification? The 11-footer was altered several times: the bridge, the deflector dish, the fore and aft ends of the warp nacelles, the impulse engines... maybe the lower sensor dome had a turret briefly, say in "The Cage" only, and then it was gone. Or on second thought, looking at the "Last Battlefield" shot, maybe it was there all along.

Ah yes....the old tallywhacker discussion again.
This is something that has been talked about for years. I wish that I would have copied and kept all of the material that I have seen in reference to this so that I could share it here. The dimple has been there all along. I have seen artists renditions of the locking ring opening and exposing the torpedo launchers while the nipple is the phaser emitter.All good stuff.

You guys are ridiculous. "I'm an internet expert, so I don't believe the photographic evidence, because I never noticed this tiny feature before and know better!" Jesus. Get over yourselves.

Gary Kerr included it in the Polar Lights model, because Gary Kerr handled and examined the 11-foot model, took measurements and reference photos, and helped disassemble the model for its Smithsonian restoration. Anybody else in this thread handle, photograph and measure the model before its Smithsonian restoration? Hm?